Many opinions have been swirling about this technology for the past several weeks, but whether we like or dislike the idea of this technology may be immaterial. The fact is if technology is easy to use and improves our lives – like the iPhone appears to – then it is here to stay. Electronic health record (EHR) systems are like ChatGPT; we can see their utility and imagine how they will facilitate care that saves and improves patients’ lives, but they’re not all the way there, not yet.  But we need to get them there – and quickly. We can.

Information is not only today’s currency; access to it is also often the difference between life and death in medicine. We have all seen firsthand how fragmentation in the health ecosystem overwhelms professionals at the front lines of patient care. Unable to access siloed information, providers often lack the background to make timely, life-sustaining decisions. This leads to poorer patient outcomes, added costs, and health professional burnout.  It results in health disparities unaddressed and the inability to engage effectively in treatable noncommunicable illnesses.

Providers and payers operate within silos, with little economic incentive to collaborate. The resulting fragmentation means that patients often fall through gaps in care as their cases are handed off from one team to another. The need to foster coordination between health stakeholders and technology has great potential, but culture and old habits can crush change.

Too Busy to Read Patient Records

As hospital floor shifts change, health professionals have little time to “get up to speed” on their patient responsibilities – and nurses are often assigned to different floors on successive shifts, making it difficult for them to gain experiential knowledge of a patient’s needs. This makes the EHR the only way to learn about their charges, which is a tenuous situation.

I know this too well. During the last 12 days of my physician father-in-law’s life, a nurse at a leading hospital replied to my questions about his care with a worrying admission: “I don’t have time to read patient records.” That admission is symptomatic of systemic failures. EHRs are not standardized; patient data cannot easily be shared between providers or accessed by patients visiting multiple hospitals. This leads to duplicative tests and procedures and can lead to medical errors and misdiagnoses, sometimes with catastrophic consequences.

For the sake of patient’s lives and health, that technology needs to be easier to use and needs to improve patients’ lives.  There must be interoperability between health systems and technology platforms.

Solutions from Government and the Private Sector

Thomas Mason, MD, Chief Medical Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, a long-time public health advocate, is among the nation’s leading experts addressing the challenges of patient care, technology, and information. Dr. Mason believes that interoperability is crucial for delivering quality care to patients. He’ll share his thoughts at the upcoming American Telemedicine Association meeting in San Antonio about The State of Interoperability in Transforming Healthcare with fellow industry expert Ardy Arianpour, a passionate entrepreneur and CEO of Seqster, a healthcare data management platform.

“Interoperability is essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs,” says Dr. Mason. “When providers can access complete and accurate patient information, they can make better-informed decisions about their care.”

Arianpour agrees. “The lack of interoperability between healthcare systems remains a major challenge. Electronic health records are not standardized, making it difficult for healthcare providers to exchange patient data.” To overcome this challenge, Arianpour believes telemedicine and remote patient care are essential tools. “Telemedicine can help to bridge the gap between patients and providers by allowing them to communicate remotely. This improves patient access to care and makes it easier for providers to monitor their patient’s health and deliver timely interventions.”

However, telemedicine and remote patient care are only part of the solution. Too often, the patient clinical data needed for prior authorization for payer approvals operate across different data systems with different electronic standards for storing the information. That adds to the physicians’ workflow and delays patient care. True interoperability – meaning seamless data exchange between health systems – is the key to curing fragmentation in the health ecosystem and providing genuine, patient-centered care.

In short, the system has to revolve around the patient, not the platform.  Right now, it just…doesn’t.

Patients are not empowered to take control of their medical destiny. Many lack access to reliable health information, and those with chronic conditions often struggle to manage their records. Instead of being at the center of care, they are often on the outside, looking in.

So, what can be done to address this isolation? Can it be solved by better coding and coordination of technology by technologists? Or must there be more to it?

Taking Action, Making Changes

To bring existing technology forward to the point where it breaks information logjams, heals fragmentation, and puts patients back at the center of care, five solutions need to be prioritized:

1. We need to break down the silos within the health provider community, improving and leveraging technology so that it supports collaboration between providers and payers to ensure patients receive seamless, coordinated care that keeps them healthier.

• We have to remember that hospital staff are often overworked and sometimes, managed less than optimally.  As we’ve seen, they may lack time to read patient histories.  Perhaps using AI developments that can provide concise patient histories with prioritized care notes – programs like Chat GPT, for instance – can help convey what is critical for providers to know.

• We need to harmonize clinical and administrative data systems to improve workflow and eliminate time-consuming, payer-specific requirements that providers often must address before delivering efficient care.

• We need to invest in interoperable technology that allows for the seamless exchange of patient data between providers. This will improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by eliminating duplicative tests and procedures.

• Finally, patients also need to be empowered to take control of their health. This means providing user-friendly interfaces that give patients access to reliable health information and the tools to manage their care, which connect to EMRs and patient portals. This is particularly important for people living with the challenges of chronic conditions.

Our healthcare system needs to be more cohesive, efficient, and cost-effective. While we have spent billions developing the technological tools we are confident can help drive this system-wide improvement, we must face the reality that the situation is worsening. We are spending more and seeing patient outcomes decline. 

Riffing on iconic advertising giant David Ogilvy, innovation theorist John Nosta writes, “GPT is like a lamp post to an intoxicated person at night. It provides support but not illumination.” Interoperability is designed to lift up health professionals and patients – healers and those seeking to be healed.  If so, it will soon illuminate the best path to care once we harken to the words of Dr. Thomas Mason and Ardy Arianpour.

Maybe it’s time we start with this simple idea; if the technological solutions we develop don’t make patients’ and health professionals’ lives easier, it’s as though they were never created.

[Special thanks to authors John Bianchi and Cullen Burnell for their review of this article.]

The post Stop Making Excuses. Prioritize People! appeared first on Medika Life.

I just attended our first in-person Medical Director Summit for our medical group in October. It had been more than three years since we came together as a medical group in person. It was a truly magical experience. No matter how many times I interact with colleagues virtually, it is simply not the same as meeting them in person; giving them a hug; smiling in their face; and interacting with them in the flesh. It was so good to see my colleagues from across the country and network and learn together with them in person. No screen could substitute that personal interaction.

Interacting with other people on a screen is deficient in almost every way. It is nearly impossible to read body language, true tone of voice, and personability through a screen. It is very difficult to garner trust between individuals through a screen. When we implemented a telemedicine program, we struggled early on to build trust between the physicians on one end of the screen, and the nurses on the other end. It was only when I visited on-site that this process of trust was able to develop. The few hours I spent interacting with the on-site clinical team were truly invaluable, even though I interacted with them multiple times virtually in the past. 

This speaks greatly about the nature of us as human beings. We are nothing if not social creatures. The disruptions in social gatherings, while I still understand why we did that early on in the pandemic, was truly disruptive to our nature as human beings. We need to be together as families, colleagues, communities, and peoples. It is in our very DNA.

What’s more, I think this also has to do with our spiritual natures. I believe each of us is infused with the spark of the Divine (all the while not having any sort of Divinity whatsoever). It was breathed into us when we came into being. Those sparks grow into burning flames when brought together, and those flames give off light and warmth and healing. That is further why it is so fulfilling to get together with friends and family. 

I do not criticize the decision to shut down everything and social distance early on in the pandemic. We had no idea what this virus was, or what it was capable of doing. We did the best we could with the information we had at the time. Looking back, whether continued lockdown had a net positive effect is debatable, and we should study every aspect of those decisions. That way, we know better, when the next in evitable pandemic strikes us.

In addition, sometimes, there is no other choice but to interact with someone on a screen: think a critical access hospital that has no Neurology or Critical Care and can only get this via Telemedicine. The pandemic has caused Telemedicine to grow exponentially, and it is going to be, in my estimation, a permanent fixture of clinical care in the future. One hopes and prays that policymakers do not get in the way of this inevitable trend. It is not a substitute for a real-live bedside clinician, but sometimes a clinician on a screen is better than no clinician at all.

That said, my experience during our Summit taught me one unshakable truth: a screen is absolutely no substitute for the real thing. We were made to be together.

The post A Screen Is No Substitute appeared first on Medika Life.

1. Convenient and accessible healthcare.

With telemedicine, patients can consult with their doctor or other healthcare provider from the comfort of their own home or office, without having to travel to a healthcare facility. This can be a major benefit for those with busy schedules or who live in rural or underserved areas.

2. Improve patient outcomes.

Studies have shown that telemedicine can help to improve patient outcomes, especially when it comes to chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. This is because telemedicine can help to ensure that patients are receiving the care and treatment they need on a regular basis.

3. Reduce healthcare costs.

Telemedicine can also help to reduce healthcare costs by reducing the need for travel and overnight stays in hospitals or other healthcare facilities. In addition, telemedicine can help to improve the efficiency of care by reducing paperwork and administrative tasks.

4. Environmentally friendly.

Telemedicine can also be beneficial for the environment, as it reduces the need for travel, which can lead to fewer emissions of greenhouse gases.

5. Save lives.

Telemedicine can also help to save lives by providing access to care in emergency situations and by enabling early diagnosis and treatment of serious health conditions, that may otherwise get lost in the long and convoluted path to care.

But there’s something else that goes beyond the “boiler plate” platitudes for digital health. The reality is, and most miss this, is that telemedicine the very conduit through which healthcare innovation flows. It’s not just a simple tech to be implemented in a hospital system, but the very proving grounds for new digital health technology. The digital platform of telemedicine is an an electronic vascular system that readily assimilates many viable and powerful tools. The role of AliveCor’s ECG, EKO’s digital stethoscope, Butterfly’s hand-held ultrasound device, and a host of other health tech innovations are perfect tools to advance telemedicine to telemedicine 2.0 and drive real change — as a function of telemedicine adoption and advancement!

And that’s why telemedicine is critical to both healthcare and the digital health movement itself. It’s a fundamental partner in the advancement of tech-drive healthcare and works hand and glove in providing the shortest distance to success.

Digital health and telemedicine are two of the most important aspects of healthcare in the 21st century. Together, they offer the potential for many new technologies and innovations that can improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for patients around the world. It’s short-sighted to see the emergence of telemedicine as just another option for an office visit. The reality is that telemedicine itself can be the direct underpinning for many digital health advancements. Further, this dynamic can facilitate adoption by leveraging the general social and clinical acceptance of telemedicine.

Telemedicine isn’t an option; it’s an imperative.

The post Telemedicine Drives Innovation And Transformation appeared first on Medika Life.

As a result of this, there are many possible complications of hospital stays: hospital-associated infections, pressure ulcers, delirium and disorientation, and long-term, there may be cognitive deficits well after the hospital stay has ended. Elderly patients are especially vulnerable to these complications.

And so, wouldn’t it be great if some patients can be “hospitalized” at home? This is providing hospital level services, but at the patient’s own home. This approach has already been tried, and there is good evidence that it leads to better outcomes for patients. A recent study out of the UK reiterated this point.

A trial conducted in the United Kingdom enrolled 1055 patients (mean age 83) and randomized them to hospital at home plus comprehensive geriatric assessment versus standard hospital admission. They had similar rates of living at home, but those randomized to being hospitalized at home had a lower rate of admission to long-term care at six months. In both groups, the most common presenting problem was acute functional deterioration due to infection.

This is significant. If we can reduce the number of patients admitted to long-term care, the better it will be for patients and better for the overall healthcare system. Of course, the patients treated at home would not be sick enough to need more advanced care that can only be provided in an actual hospital, such as critical care services or advanced cardiac care.

Still, this innovative approach has great potential to create capacity in the healthcare system, especially if we see another Covid wave in the winter or we suffer another global pandemic (which, truly, is bound to happen eventually). For example, if there are patients with Covid who are not that sick and only need oxygen, they can be treated at home with oxygen and perhaps some IV medications such as antibiotics or even remdesivir. And, they can be cared for with Telephysicians who can electronically round on them every day.

I already know of hospital systems that did just that with mildly-ill Covid patients: sent them home on oxygen to be monitored by Telephysicians. It was a life-saver for an already overwhelmed hospital with literally dozens of critically ill patients with Covid.

This “hospital at home” concept needs to be greatly expanded. The biggest barrier, however, is reimbursement. This needs to change. If we are to innovate, then payment schemes need to innovate as well.

Thankfully, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the government program that administers Medicare, has an “Acute Hospital Care at Home” program, and more hospitals are participating in the program. If this system is to work, the payments to hospitals at home — with the proper oversight to prevent fraud and abuse — should be on par with payments to physical hospitals.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced healthcare to rapidly innovate, such as the more widespread adoption of telehealth and telemedicine services. I myself have worked many tele-ICU shifts caring for Covid patients across the country. This will ultimately benefit the entire healthcare system, leading to better care and better outcomes. And part of this innovation should be a greatly expanded “Hospital at Home” program.

Reference:

Shepperd S, Butler C, Cradduck-Bamford A, et al. Is Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Admission Avoidance Hospital at Home an Alternative to Hospital Admission for Older Persons? : A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med 2021.

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SAN FRANCISCO /PRNewswire/ — The global telemedicine market size is expected to reach USD 298.9 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 22.4% from 2021 to 2028. Key drivers of the market include increasing incidences of chronic conditions and rising demand for self-care. Furthermore, enhancing internet application, virtual medicine and rising demand for centralization of healthcare are expected to save on cost incurred, which is one of the critical success factors attributing to market growth.

Key suggestions from the report:

• The product segment registered largest revenue share in 2020 due to increasing adoption of remote monitoring devices
• Increasing demand of automation and synchronization across the system is anticipated to be the key driving factor for the real time technology segment
• Telemedicine found wide applications in dermatology, psychiatry, intensive care units, emergency care, ophthalmology and radiology. The teleradiology segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020
• The web/mobile based delivery model is expected to witness significant growth in coming years due to high adoption of smartphones and penetration of internet
• The tele-homecare segment is anticipated to witness a lucrative CAGR in coming years due to increasing awareness pertinent to benefits of remote healthcare amongst patients and introduction of advanced technologies to monitor patient’s health from remote locations
• The patients segment held the largest revenue share in 2020. Government initiated healthcare programs across the world are anticipated to propel segment growth in coming years
• North America dominated the market as there is high adoption of telehealth solution due to COVID-19 pandemic. Availability of advanced healthcare facilities with plenty funds contributed to the emergency care delivery to stop spread of the disease is contributing towards the growth of the market in the region
• In Asia Pacific, the market is predicted to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period. Developing economies such as China and India are facing challenge to provide access to patients due to corona outbreak is expected to boost the adoption of telemedicine services in this region. Economic reforms, boosting IT industry, and low functioning costs are the key factors attracting market players to participate in this region
• Telemedicine products are distributed by direct supply contract amongst the manufacturers and end users or maybe concluded via a third-party supplier

Read 150 page research report with ToC on “Telemedicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Technology, By Application (Teleradiology, Telepsychiatry), By Delivery Mode, By Type, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2028” at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/telemedicine-industry

In the U.S. both state and federal laws have evolved to facilitate the widespread use of telemedicine to cope up with the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in March 6, 2020 the U.S. president signed Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. It includes USD 8.0 billion emergency funding for the federal agencies and to expand reimbursement coverage for telehealth services. Various U.S. states also waived of the licensure for better utilization of the service. This positively impacted the market growth during the pandemic.

Rapid advancements in technology is further expected to boost the demand for online consultation, thereby contributing to the market growth of telemedicine solutions and services over the forecast period. For instance, in April 2020, American Well launched Amwell Private Practice that is a secure, simple and cost-effective solution for doctors to deliver virtual primary or specialty care for COVID19 patients. There has been a significant rise in telemental health visits over the past decade in the U.S. and the trend is expected to continue during the forecast period, thereby contributing to the adoption of telemedicine systems by hospitals and healthcare settings.

Grand View Research has segmented the global telemedicine market by component, technology, application, delivery mode, type, end-use, and region:

• Telemedicine Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Product
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Others
  • Services
    • Tele-consulting
    • Tele-monitoring
    • Tele-education
• Telemedicine Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Store and forward
  • Real time
  • Others
• Telemedicine Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Teleradiology
  • Telepsychiatry
  • Telepathology
  • Teledermatology
  • Telecardiolog
  • Others
• Telemedicine Delivery Mode Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Web/Mobile
    • Telephonic
    • Visualized
  • Call Centers
• Telemedicine Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Tele-hospital
  • Tele-home
• Telemedicine End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • Providers
  • Payers
  • Patients
  • Other End Users
• Telemedicine Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 – 2028)
  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  • Europe
    • U.K.
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Russia
    • Netherlands
    • Switzerland
    • Sweden
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
  • Latin America
    • Brazil
    • Mexico
    • Argentina
  • Middle East & Africa
    • South Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE

List of Key Players of Telemedicine Market

• MDlive Inc.
• SteadyMD Inc.
• Maven, Inc.
• iCliniq
• HealthTap, Inc.
• BioTelemetry, Inc.
• American Well
• CVS Health
• Synapse Medicine
• Practo
• Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Doctor On Demand, Inc.
• AMD Global Telemedicine
• Aerotel Medical Systems (1998) Ltd.
• Plantronics, Inc. (Polycom)

Find more research reports on Healthcare IT Industry, by Grand View Research:

• eHealth Market – The global eHealth market size was valued at USD 85.44 billion in 2014 and is expected to increase at the rate of 15.8% over the forecast period.
• U.S. Telehealth Market – The U.S. telehealth market size was valued at USD 572.0 million in 2014. Key drivers of the market include rising demand for centralization of healthcare administration and enhanced quality and safety of the applications.
• Telepsychiatry Market – The global telepsychiatry market size was valued at USD 5.5 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.7% from 2020 to 2027.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James
Corporate Sales Specialist, USA
Grand View Research, Inc.
Phone: +1-415-349-0058
Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519
Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com 
Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com 
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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.

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